Herb Roasted Turkey Recipes

HERBED ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lowest position. Remove packet of giblets and neck from cavity. Discard liver. Rinse remaining giblets and neck; refrigerate until ready to make broth.
• Turn turkey on its back and bend wing tips forward and underneath neck cavity of bird so they stay in place (you may have to break the bones).
• In a small bowl, combine parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, 4 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using your fingers, carefully loosen skin of breast and around thighs and rub herb mixture under skin of both.
• Season cavity with salt and pepper and loosely fill with lemons and rosemary sprigs. Using cotton kitchen twine, tie legs together so bird retains its shape and moisture during cooking.
• Pour cider in bottom of pan. Set roasting rack on top. Lift turkey onto rack, breast side up; rub with remaining tablespoon oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Tent turkey loosely with foil. Roast 1 hour. Uncover and continue to roast, basting frequently with pan juices, until an instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 170 degrees, 2 1/2 to 3 hours more. (Temperature will rise about 10 degrees as turkey rests.) Tent with foil if browning too quickly; add water if pan becomes dry. Cover loosely with foil, and let stand 30 minutes before carving. Serve with roasted vegetables.

JUICY HERB-ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Chop 8 sage leaves and leaves from 2 thyme sprigs. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup oil, garlic, salt and pepper with chopped herbs. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from turkey breast; rub mixture under skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks., Cut onions into wedges and the celery, carrots and parsnips into 2-in. pieces. Place about a fifth of the onions, celery and carrots in the turkey cavity; add 4 sage sprigs and remaining 4 thyme sprigs to cavity. Arrange remaining vegetables evenly in a roasting pan. Place turkey, breast side up, over vegetables. Brush with remaining 1/4 cup oil., Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 170°-175°, 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly. Cover and let stand 20 minutes before carving. Discard vegetables. If desired, use drippings to make gravy.

THANKSGIVING PIONEER-STYLE HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• For the turkey: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.
• Combine the butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with half of the carrots, celery, and onion. Rub the entire turkey with herb butter and season liberally with salt and pepper.
• Put 4 cups of the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• Place the remaining vegetables on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Put the turkey on top of the vegetables, put in the oven, and roast in the oven until lightly golden brown, 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160 degrees F, about 2 to 2 1/4 hours longer. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to baking sheet and tent loosely with foil, and let rest 20 minutes before slicing.
• For the sage gravy:
• Strain the cooking liquid from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan (should be about 4 cups, if not, add more stock to make 4 cups). Add the neck, bring to a boil, add the sage leaves, remove from the heat, and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the sage leaves.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced. Whisk in the stock and cook until thickened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and chopped sage.

HERB ROASTED AND BRAISED TURKEY

Steps:

• For the turkey: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.
• Combine the butter, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme and in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Sprinkle the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with half the carrots, celery and onions. Rub the entire turkey with the herb butter and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
• Put 4 cups of the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• Place the remaining vegetables on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Put the turkey on top of the vegetables, put in the oven and roast until lightly golden brown, about 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, 2 to 2 hours 15 minutes hours longer. (An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh should register 160 degrees F.)
• Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to baking sheet, tent loosely with foil and let rest 30 minutes before slicing. Remove the legs for braising. Strain the drippings into a bowl and discard the solids. Add enough stock to make 4 cups liquid.
• Bring the liquid to a simmer, transfer to a roasting pan, add the legs, cover with foil and braise until tender in a 350 F degree oven about 1 hour.
• For the gravy: Melt the butter in a medium pan over high heat. Add the roasted garlic and cook for a minute. Whisk in the flour and cook until lightly golden brown. Slowly whisk the drippings into the flour mixture, bring to a boil and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken and the flour taste has been cooked out, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of the white wine if desired and cook for 1 minute longer. Fold in fresh herbs if desired and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

HERB-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
• In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan.
• Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with the pan juices spooned over the turkey.

SAVORY HERB RUB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place roasting rack in shallow roasting pan. Mix sage, paprika, seasoned salt, garlic powder, pepper and nutmeg in small bowl.
• 2. Place turkey, breast-side up, in prepared pan. Sprinkle about 1/2 of the seasoning mixture inside turkey. Stuff with onion and bay leaves. Brush turkey breast with oil. Spread remaining seasoning mixture over entire surface and under skin of turkey. Add 1/2 cup water to pan. Cover turkey loosely with heavy duty foil.
• 3. Roast 1 hour. Remove foil. Roast 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (175 degrees F in thigh), basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove turkey from oven. Let stand 20 minutes. Transfer to platter or carving board to slice. Reserve pan juices to make gravy or to serve with turkey.

HERB-ROASTED TURKEY THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Combine room temperature butter with thyme, rosemary, parsley, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
• Pat turkey thighs dry with a paper towel; season with salt and pepper.
• Place potatoes, onions, and garlic on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Add turkey thighs and rub herb butter over the meat and under the skin. Top with lemon zest and juice.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Continue to bake, basting turkey with its own juices after 15 minutes, until no longer pink in the centers, about 30 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

EASY HERB-ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Clean turkey (discard giblets and organs), and place in a roasting pan with a lid.
• In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic powder, dried basil, ground sage, salt, and black pepper. Using a basting brush, apply the mixture to the outside of the uncooked turkey. Pour water into the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover.
• Bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh measures 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove bird from oven, and allow to stand for about 30 minutes before carving.

HERB ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey breast from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Cut 3 pieces of kitchen twine and set aside.
• Add the butter, parsley, lemon zest, thyme, onion powder, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a small bowl. Use a fork or a rubber spatula to incorporate all of the ingredients into the butter. Set aside.
• Pat the turkey breast dry. Using clean hands, starting at one end of the breast, slide your fingers under the skin to create a pocket between the meat and the skin. Use your hands to transfer the butter into the pocket and smooth the butter into an even layer.
• Use the kitchen twine to tie the turkey horizontally in 3 places. This will help the turkey breast cook evenly and remain juicy. Flip the turkey breast so that it is skin-side down. Drizzle it with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Flip the turkey over and repeat the same seasoning process.
• Arrange the onion slices on a small rimmed baking sheet. Pour 1/3 cup water into the baking sheet and place the turkey breast on top of the onions. Transfer to the oven and roast for 1 hour. Remove the turkey from the oven and baste it with the butter and juices from the baking sheet. Continue to roast until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F, another 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the turkey to cool for 15 minutes. (In this time the internal temperature will rise another 5 degrees.)
• Slice the turkey and serve it with the roasted onions.

ROASTED BUTTER HERB TURKEY

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine softened butter, poultry seasoning, garlic herb sauce mix, and crushed garlic. Use a fork to mix together until well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes, until firm but not hard.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Arrange celery, carrots, and half of the diced onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add chicken broth and set aside.
• Rinse the thawed turkey and pat dry. Use your finger to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Take the butter mixture and cut into large pieces. Place the butter pieces under the skin of the entire turkey. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the inside of turkey cavity with remaining onions, fresh herb poultry blend, and lemon slices. (Truss if necessary.) Insert the pop-up thermometer at an angle about 3-inches down from the neck cavity and 2-inches from the breast bone, in the thickest part of the breast.
• Place turkey on the bed of vegetables in roasting pan. Place in the oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. Roast for 1 hour, then baste with pan juices every 20 minutes until thermometer pops up or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 180 degrees F, about 3 hours.

HERB-GLAZED ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Rinse the turkey, and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Brush the turkey with olive oil, inside and out.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and the thyme in a small bowl, and sprinkle the turkey with the mixture.
• Place the turkey on a rack set in a roasting pan, and roast in the preheated oven for 2 hours.
• In a bowl, stir together the honey, melted butter, sage, parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Brush the turkey with the honey glaze, and return to the oven.
• Roast the turkey until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 2 more hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Continue to brush the turkey with the honey glaze frequently as it roasts. Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Mix all basting ingredients.
• Place cleaned turkey in roaster pan.
• Roast turkey, uncovered,at 325*.
• Baste with chichen broth mixture every 1/2 hour.
• Turkey should be done in 4-5 hours.
• If needed to prevent over browning; cover with a foil tent last hour of cooking.

HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Rub the surface of the turkey and sprinkle cavity with salt and pepper.
• Place 12 sprigs of thyme in cavity.
• In a large heavy roasting pan, place onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns and remaining thyme sprigs.
• Place the turkey, breast side up, over the vegetables.
• Drizzle butter over turkey and sprinkle with minced herbs.
• Cover loosely with foil.
• Bake at 325*F for 2 1/2 hours.
• Remove foil; bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours longer, basting every 20 minutes.
• Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before carving.
• For gravy, add a couple of cups of stock to vegetables in pan and heat to deglaze.
• Strain into a saucepan and thicken with some flour and water.
• (I put some cold water into a jar, add a few TBS of flour, screw the lid on and shake it til it is well mixed. Then I strain it thru a tea strainer to keep any lumps of flour out).